Data communication in mobile communication networks is dominated by use of a request response communication mechanism that is triggered by a mobile terminal or by P2P communication using Short Message Service SMS or Multimedia Messaging Service MMS. Recently enriched request response communication is used which relies on Location Based Service LBS technologies or broadcast technologies.
Location Based Service LBS technologies enable content delivery based on the location or geographical position of a user. The location information of the user may be provided by a network operator through use of a Mobile Positioning System MPS or through use of Global Positioning System GPS based mechanisms. The Mobile Positioning System MPS is based on cell ID information or timing advances/triangulation algorithms that provide an accuracy of several hundred meters depending on a diameter of a cell. Global Positioning System GPS based localization mechanisms are more precise but necessitate an additional GPS receiver and thus additional hardware at the mobile terminal using Location Based Service LBS technologies.
Further, location based systems are used for an indication of a geographical position of a mobile terminal being located in a spatial area. A cellular communication system can be used to send geographical positions to a backend where specific location based services are coordinated. E.g., the user of a location based service may be the driver of a car who uses a geographic position to receive a parking ticket valid for his current location and for a validity period.
However, existing solutions location based delivery of parking tickets impose an inconvenience for service users and come with a high price tag for deployment and maintenance. Also, existing solutions lack flexibility in time and location based pricing.
Further, nowadays individual parking meters are rarely found as they require high investments and lead to high maintenance costs. They do not allow for cashless payment and potentially disputes about defective parking meters may occur.
Further, centralized parking meters serve a larger area but require additional signing with directions to the drivers such that the users find the correct parking meter. These parking meters are complex, require high investments and costly maintenance, and do not support cashless payment. Users have to leave their car to go to the parking meters, have to insert coins, and have to bring the purchased parking ticket back to the car for display. Also users have to pay in advance for parking services either paying for a period being longer than needed to have to take the risk to park longer than an allowable parking duration and receive a fine.
Further with gate-based parking users draw a ticket when they arrive at a gate and pay the fee at a centralized parking meter before they leave. When they pay their ticket it is cleared for exit within a certain grace period. When users lose a ticket they might have to pay the fee for a full day. Finally, gate-based parking usually requires at least one person.
Still further, while existing SMS parking solutions are more convenient than those discussed above the user still has to look at a sign with a certain area code which is displayed and shown at a parking place. Then, he has to send the certain area code on the sign together with a license plate number as an SMS message to a specific mobile number which might lead to disputes in case of mistyped information.